and though the woods still covered the hills, and wild cattle strolled about, men were more numerous than before, and less unlike the present race, I can easily conceive this lake to have been the haunt of the afanc-beaver, that he here built cunningly his house of trees and clay, and that to this lake the native would come with his net and his spear to hunt the animal for his precious fur.  Probably if the depths of that pool were searched relics of the crocodile and the beaver might be found, along with other strange things connected with the periods in which they respectively lived.  Happy were I if for a brief space I could become a Cingalese that I might swim out far into that pool, dive down into its deepest part and endeavour to discover any strange things which beneath its surface may lie.’  Much in this guise rolled my thoughts as I lay stretched on the margin of the lake.

* * * * *

‘Pray, gentleman, walk in!’ said the miller; ’we are going to have our afternoon’s meal, and shall be rejoiced if you will join us.’

‘Yes, do, gentleman,’ said the miller’s wife, for such the good woman was; ‘and many a welcome shall you have.’

I hesitated, and was about to excuse myself.

‘Don’t refuse, gentleman!’ said both, ’surely you are not too proud to sit down with us?’

‘I am afraid I shall only cause you trouble,’ said I.

‘Dim blinder, no trouble,’ exclaimed both at once; ‘pray do walk in!’

I entered the house, and the kitchen, parlour, or whatever it was, a nice little room with a slate floor.  They made me sit down at a table by the window, which was already laid for a meal.  There was a clean cloth upon it, a tea-pot, cups and saucers, a large plate of bread-and-butter, and a plate, on which were a few very thin slices of brown, watery cheese.

My good friends took their seats, the wife poured out tea for the stranger and her husband, helped us both to bread-and-butter and the watery cheese, then took care of herself.  Before, however, I could taste the tea, the wife, seeming to recollect herself, started up, and hurrying to a cupboard, produced a basin full of snow-white lump sugar, and taking the spoon out of my hand, placed two of the largest lumps in my cup, though she helped neither her husband nor herself; the sugar-basin being probably only kept for grand occasions.

My eyes filled with tears; for in the whole course of my life I had never experienced so much genuine hospitality.  Honour to the miller of Mona and his wife; and honour to the kind hospitable Celts in general!  How different is the reception of this despised race of the wandering stranger from that of —–.  However, I am a Saxon myself, and the Saxons have no doubt their virtues; a pity that they should be all uncouth and ungracious ones!

* * * * *